Learn English | A new lesson every week
Book your course now

Present Simple and Present Continuous

Average: 2.8 (20 votes)

We use the Present Simple

  • When we talk about habits we do again and again "I go fishing every weekend."
  • When we talk about actions that are always true "In England people drive on the left."
  • When we talk about actions which always happen and when we describe people "Javier comes from Spain and he works in a bank."
  • When we tell the story about a book or a film "Brad Pitt plays the part of a gangster in the film."
  • When we use adverbs like always, often, never and usually. "I never listen to the radio."
  • When we use state verbs like think and agree "I agree with your opinion."

 

We use the Present Continuous

  • When we talk about an action that is happening at the time we are speaking "We are leaving now."
  • For actions which are happening at the present but only for a short time "I'm staying at my friend's house this week."
  • For actions which may happen around the present but not necessarily at that moment "I'm reading a great book at present."
  • For the future "She is arriving next week."
  • When we strongly complain about something using always and constantly "That dog is constantly making a noise."

Now fill in the blanks with the present simple or present progressive form of the verb in brackets.

Link: Can you name these tenses?

  • 1 - I (see) my brother once a month.
  • 2 - I don't know what (happen) to me at the moment.
  • 3 - Samantha always (take) the bus to work.
  • 4 - They (be) all in the pool.
  • 5 - Fresh bread (smell) wonderful.
  • 6 - He's outside (smoke) a cigarette.
  • 7 - Ben is constantly (talk) in class.
  • 8 - What are you doing? I (imagine) what university life will be like.
  • 9 - I (read) a lot of crime books these days.
  • 10 - I (think) she is correct